Intro, Summary & General Questions

Summary:Dinosaurs do Exist. Especially when they have names like Ziggy, Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome-otherwise known as The Black Dinosaurs. Okay.

They're not really dinosaurs; they're just a group of friends who've decided to start their own club. And, since all of the guys thought Rashawn's huge plastic Apatosaurus was cool, they decided to name the club after it.

It doesn't take long before the Black Dinosaurs are on the case, because something very strange is happening in their neighborhood. Someone has buried and old trunk near the secret clubhouse-and it's filled with bones. And someone has been writing weird notes and singing strange songs about bones rising again. What's going on?

Well, that's what the Black Dinosaurs want to know and they're determined to get to the bottom of the weirdness-no matter what!

Reviews & Awards

Reviews:Lesia Graham-Figueira Quarterly Black Review of Books

Writing for kids should be fresh and interesting, with lively dialogue.
Sharon M. Draper's Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs, illustrated by James
Ransome, is just that; it's warm, light-hearted and ultimately
educational. Drapers paints colorful pictures with her words, bringing
each character vividly to life.

And lively characters they are. The story unfolds around the summer
vacation of four 10-year-old boys. The plot is filled with humor and
fun, making the overall read energetic and uplifting. Each of the four
boys is explicitly detailed, generating an immediate identification with
the four heroes.

Rico, the first character we meet, is neat, orderly and afraid of bugs.
Jerome is short, strong and tough, but has to babysit his two younger
sisters all summer. Rashawn, whose father is a police officer, is tall
and skinny; and last but not least there is Ziggy, a Jamaican American,
who is bouncy, fun-loving -- and wants desperately to be a spy for the
F.B. of I. The illustrations in the book reinforce the imagery of the
text, and effectively endear our hearts to the boys.

The dilemma the boys must resolve is what are they going to do for the
entire summer after someone trashes their basketball court. A
suspenseful tale unfolds as the four stumble upon a mysterious box of
bones while building their Black Dinosaurs club house. No one enjoys a
mystery like little boys, and these four go on to collect clues and
uncover some extremely interesting and historical information. And so
will young readers.